Semester 2012B Time Distribution

Gemini North: Time Availability and Distribution

A minimum of 86.5% of the time will be
available for science use on Gemini North in 2012B. This amounts to 159 nights and includes a 7% Director's Discretionary Time allocation, in agreement with Gemini Board resolution 2011.A.9. Of the Director's Discretionary Time, the Director has decided to make 5% available for staff use, while 2% will be available to all astronomers through the
Director's Discretionary Time proposal process throughout the semester.
Staff time remains open for joint proposals with the partners.
The non-science time will be used for observatory maintenance tasks, re-commissioning of
GNIRS, and commissioning of
GRACES. Any unused
engineering time will be returned to science. Note that historically around 5% of each
semester's science time is used to complete highly ranked programs from the previous two
semesters to which the ITAC granted rollover status.
The number of hours available to each partner and the host in 2012B is given in the following table. The numbers take into account corrections for prior imbalances.

Partner

Estimated Hours Available

US

619

UK

252

Canada

229

Australia

98

Brazil

59

Argentina

34

Univ. of Hawaii (host)

202

Gemini South: Time Availability and Distribution

A minimum of 81% of the time will be
available for science use on Gemini South in 2012B. This amounts to 149 nights,
which do not include NICI campaign science, as the campaign is expected to be completed in 2012A.
These nights do include
20 nights of System Verification for
FLAMINGOS-2 and GSAOI, and 7% of Director's Discretionary Time in agreement with Gemini Board resolution 2011.A.9. Of the Director's Discretionary Time, the Director has decided to make 5% available for staff use, while 2% will be available to all astronomers through the
Director's Discretionary Time proposal process throughout the semester.
Staff time remains open for joint proposals with the partners.
The non-science time will be used for observatory maintenance tasks,
FLAMINGOS-2 commissioning, and GSAOI commissioning.
Any unused engineering time will be returned to science.
Note that historically around 5% of each
semester's science time is used to complete highly ranked programs from the previous two
semesters to which the ITAC granted rollover status.
The number of hours available to each partner and the host in 2012B is given in the following table. The numbers take into account corrections for prior imbalances.

Partner

Estimated Hours Available

US

508

UK

196

Canada

194

Australia

84

Brazil

53

Argentina

29

Chile
(host)

142

Time Adjustments

To maintain overall balance amongst the partnership, the values shown
above for both Gemini North and South have been
adjusted from the nominal partner shares as a result of actual time
charged through 2011B. The time allocations also include a purchase by Brazil of 35 hours of UK time at each telescope. The values shown in the tables above were recommended
by the Operations Working Group in February 2012.
The number of nights is approximated by int(hours/10).